Play 'Dante's Inferno' and Read the Book at the Same Time

EA's God of War clone Dante's Infernowas loosely (okay, very loosely) inspired by Dante Aligheri's classic poem, Inferno. Sure, Dante's poem didn't have his main character wandering into Hell with a giant scythe and shooting light crosses at everything that moved, but what's life without a little artistic license?

Luckily, gamers will now be able to compare and contrast the differences between the game and the source material thanks to Random House's decision to publish a special edition of Dante's masterwork to commemorate the launch of the game.

If you're wondering why you'd need this version and not just a standard text of Inferno that can be found in any library, it's because the new book will feature a foreword from the game's executive producer Jonathan Knight wherein he discusses the process of turning the poem into a game. But wait, there's more! This new edition also boasts 16 pages of full color art showcasing many of the characters' transition from the poem to the game. Sounds cool, but I'm not sold on the idea that gamers are going to run out and pick up a deeply philosophical book of poetry to go along with their action game that revolves around slaughtering demons in Hell. I can hear the complaints already, "but, where are the boobs? How come Dante doesn't shoot crosses of holy light everywhere?" Yeah, this may be a very bad idea...

However, if you're a gamer looking to broaden his literary horizons, or just a collector who wants some extra game-inspired artwork, you'll probably want to snag a copy of Inferno when it hits retailers on January 19th. That'll give you a few weeks to read ahead and become familiar with the story before Dante's Inferno releases this February.